Haven't seen anything on the MAC in quite awhile. Anybody hearing anything?

People are trying to leave it. If NIU does get the call up to a new conference I'd expect it to be back filled but that's about it

Albany/Stony Brook???

I'd be all for stony brook

No and I doubt any will happen without a team announcing that they are leaving first.

I believe JMU is at the top of the list.

We won't expand unless we lose teams, adding teams now just divides our existing money and TV opportunities even further.

If we lose someone, we'd probably look at Stony Brook, JMU, Illinois State, and/or Missouri State. NDSU is too far away. But it's all idle speculation at this point, I wouldn't expect any MAC teams to leave with our new TV deal starting, and I would expect UB to leave more than NIU to be honest.

(06-17-2015 11:05 AM)Love and Honor Wrote:  We won't expand unless we lose teams, adding teams now just divides our existing money and TV opportunities even further.

If we lose someone, we'd probably look at Stony Brook, JMU, Illinois State, and/or Missouri State. NDSU is too far away. But it's all idle speculation at this point, I wouldn't expect any MAC teams to leave with our new TV deal starting, and I would expect UB to leave more than NIU to be honest.

To where? CUSA? Not like they're going anywhere else AHEAD of NIU...

Buffalo -- to the American as backfill for Cincinnati to the Big 12? Buffalo woudl be as good a fit in the AAC as it is in the MAC.

No Eastern Kentucky?

Depends on where and when. Northern Illinois been the class of the MAC for a few years, but things fluctuate quickly and conferences can't add teams expecting sustained success (hoping maybe, but it's dangerous to count on). The conference looking to add matters too. If someone is looking for a more northeast addition, Buffalo makes more sense (and you can see there push to have a wider following with more emphasis on New York in their name). If someone wants more into the Chicago area, then Northern Illinois. All else being equal, Northern Illinois has the edge now, but things fluctuate quickly and conferences value things differently (the ACC thought Rutgers was less valuable than Pitt and Syracuse and the Big Ten thought the opposite).

That said, I don't see much movement for awhile. In the off chance the Big 12 expands soon, the American would probably look at both as (a) replacement(s). I don't see Conference USA being a better alternative for either though.

Edit: As for the MAC itself expanding, I think UMass leaving put the nail in any move to 14 for awhile.

(06-17-2015 11:37 AM)ohio1317 Wrote:  Depends on where and when. Northern Illinois been the class of the MAC for a few years, but things fluctuate quickly and conferences can't add teams expecting sustained success (hoping maybe, but it's dangerous to count on). The conference looking to add matters too. If someone is looking for a more northeast addition, Buffalo makes more sense (and you can see there push to have a wider following with more emphasis on New York in their name). If someone wants more into the Chicago area, then Northern Illinois. All else being equal, Northern Illinois has the edge now, but things fluctuate quickly and conferences value things differently (the ACC thought Rutgers was less valuable than Pitt and Syracuse and the Big Ten thought the opposite).

That said, I don't see much movement for awhile. In the off chance the Big 12 expands soon, the American would probably look at both as (a) replacement(s). I don't see Conference USA being a better alternative for either though.

Edit: As for the MAC itself expanding, I think UMass leaving put the nail in any move to 14 for awhile.

An Ohio school could get in if they lose Cincinnati.

(06-17-2015 01:21 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(06-17-2015 11:37 AM)ohio1317 Wrote:  Depends on where and when. Northern Illinois been the class of the MAC for a few years, but things fluctuate quickly and conferences can't add teams expecting sustained success (hoping maybe, but it's dangerous to count on). The conference looking to add matters too. If someone is looking for a more northeast addition, Buffalo makes more sense (and you can see there push to have a wider following with more emphasis on New York in their name). If someone wants more into the Chicago area, then Northern Illinois. All else being equal, Northern Illinois has the edge now, but things fluctuate quickly and conferences value things differently (the ACC thought Rutgers was less valuable than Pitt and Syracuse and the Big Ten thought the opposite).

That said, I don't see much movement for awhile. In the off chance the Big 12 expands soon, the American would probably look at both as (a) replacement(s). I don't see Conference USA being a better alternative for either though.

Edit: As for the MAC itself expanding, I think UMass leaving put the nail in any move to 14 for awhile.

An Ohio school could get in if they lose Cincinnati.

Toledo would be a good option for the AAC at that point. For some reason, I keep getting the feeling that Ohio will be in C-USA at some point to regain their rivalry with Marshall...

I hope it stays at 12, and if somebody leaves I hope we don't replace them.

Here's when each school joined the MAC-

1946 Ohio
1947 Miami, Western Michigan
1950 Toledo
1951 Kent State
1952 Bowling Green
1971 Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan
1973 Ball State
1975 Northern Illinois (minus '87-'96)
1992 Akron
1998 Buffalo

I'm not saying a team or two won't leave, but most of these schools have been together for a really long time and I think it would be harder to justify a lateral move to another G5 conference, even for a slight increase in revenue, compared to the rest of G5 that have little to no history with their current conference mates.

(06-17-2015 11:36 AM)SMUfan Wrote:  No Eastern Kentucky?

No way, eku... Has a high school gym and sits in the
Shadow of UK, there are a dozen better FCS choices better

(06-17-2015 01:56 PM)David Krumudgen Wrote:  

(06-17-2015 11:36 AM)SMUfan Wrote:  No Eastern Kentucky?

No way, eku... Has a high school gym and sits in the
Shadow of UK, there are a dozen better FCS choices better

I think they just redid their gym and are in the process of a major upgrade to the football stadium.

Name three better FCS choices in the MAC footprint?

(06-17-2015 05:05 PM)SMUfan Wrote:  

(06-17-2015 01:56 PM)David Krumudgen Wrote:  

(06-17-2015 11:36 AM)SMUfan Wrote:  No Eastern Kentucky?

No way, eku... Has a high school gym and sits in the
Shadow of UK, there are a dozen better FCS choices better

I think they just redid their gym and are in the process of a major upgrade to the football stadium.

Name three better FCS choices in the MAC footprint?

Illinois State
Indiana State
Southern Illinois
Wisconsin-Milwaukee(thinking about re-adding football)

(06-17-2015 05:05 PM)SMUfan Wrote:  

(06-17-2015 01:56 PM)David Krumudgen Wrote:  

(06-17-2015 11:36 AM)SMUfan Wrote:  No Eastern Kentucky?

No way, eku... Has a high school gym and sits in the
Shadow of UK, there are a dozen better FCS choices better

I think they just redid their gym and are in the process of a major upgrade to the football stadium.

Name three better FCS choices in the MAC footprint?

Illinois St
Indiana St
Northern Iowa
Missouri St
Southern Illinois
NDSU

Oops